staging a picnic

1:31 AM

When taking portraits, I believe the background is just as important as the composition of the photo. When I was asked to take portraits at the Fall Carnival at church to benefit the mission trip going to India, I knew I wanted to incorporate a fun background. I was totally blank until I scouted out the grounds. When I saw the tall grass and willows at the back of the property, the inspiration came, and I started gathering my props. A piece of material (I'm now on the lookout for a cool old quilt for future shoots), a basket of apples, a bowl of grapes, a tray of fresh bread, a juice bottle, long stemmed sunflowers, and teacups were the perfect pieces to stage my picnic!

And since the area was already staged, I couldn't resist taking some photos of Miss Emma. Cupcake courtesy of the cake walk!

About me

Creativity, adventure, family and love are a few of my favorite things. I have spent the last 22 years traveling the world in search of them. My husband and I co-founded, along with a friend, an organization called Ten Thousand Homes, a non-profit building futures and homes. In 2016, I started a social enterprise called The Reverie Guesthouse. I believe we can change the world. I have two beautiful children who teach me everyday. I enjoy writing and the occasional photo.